Spoiler Alert: While many "Harry Potter" fans have read the novels "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and its follow-up "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," details from the books in this feature may be considered spoilers to fans of the movies alone.

It's been a tricky year for Daniel Radcliffe, the teen actor who became international film star after "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and its three sequels cast a spell on moviegoers worldwide starting in 2001.

That's because something wicked his way came in early 2007 after filming wrapped on movie No. 5, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." For when the 17-year-old actor took provocative lead role that included nudity in revival of the Tony Award-winning drama "Equus" on London's West End, Radcliffe -- who was coveted for playing Harry -- was no longer sheltered from any critical storms.

"The press did a remarkably fast U-turn with 'Equus.' There was, I believe one headline in one particularly generous English newspaper which said, 'Crash. What's That Sound? It's The Sound Of A Career Coming To A Screening Halt' or something to that effect," Radcliffe said in an @ The Movies interview Monday. "They were always going to say it and I was always going to set out to wrong-foot them."

And a swift kick Radcliffe gave his critics indeed, by not only riding high on "Equus," but by commanding the screen more than ever as the emotional complexities of Harry Potter set ablaze "The Order of the Phoenix," directed by British filmmaker David Yates.

"I think it's far and away the best," Radcliffe enthused. "What David's done with it in terms of taking an already established franchise that has had three previous director over the four films -- and retaining the continuity, but also completely making it it's own -- I think it's a remarkable thing that he's managed to do with it."

It shouldn't come as a big surprise to the fans of the books or previous movies that "The Order of the Phoenix" has a decidedly darker tone from the get-go, as we find the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) a permanent resident in Harry's nightmares. The story also finds Hogwarts falling under iron-fisted rule of authoritarian Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy) and his minion, Dark Arts Professor Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) -- who threatens to relieve the school's headmaster, Professor Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon).

Realizing the school's livelihood is in jeopardy, Harry teams with his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) to start Dumbledore's Army. Becoming the group's leader, Harry dives into teaching the rebellious group of students: Ron's sister, Ginny (Bonnie Wright), and twin brothers Fred and George (James and Oliver Phelps), Cho Chang (Katie Leung), Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) and Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch), a new student that has acute senses much like Harry.

Radcliffe believes the forming of Dumbledore's Army is not only a pivotal moment in "The Order of the Phoenix," but the entire "Harry Potter" film series.

"From that moment on, the film takes on a totally new level to any of the other one," Radcliffe said. "That is the catalyst. Suddenly, it's more of an adult movie. It's a film in its own right rather than just being a film of the book."

Fans of the books shouldn't be surprised by the dark tone of "Phoenix," and even fans of the movies alone should have seen the storm front brewing in "The Prisoner of Azkaban" and "The Goblet of Fire" -- especially following the lighter days of "The Sorcerer's Stone" and "Chamber of Secrets."

"The first film starts off on the right tone and they were totally charming and great for kids to watch. But they have to get darker is the films are to survive as a franchise and to get better," Radcliffe said. "I won't name any specific films, but there's been a tad of a disappointment the films in other franchises this summer. When all the reviews were coming out and were slightly disappointing, I was thinking, 'Thank God we have made this a really good film.'"

Not surprisingly, Radcliffe gives the bulk of the credit to the strength of author J.K. Rowling's indelible book series.

"We've managed to hold our heads up as a franchise and have gone to great, great pains to be true to the books and the source material," Radcliffe said. "We're incredibly lucky. We probably have the most famous books of their time as the source material. And so, if you have stories that great, all you have to do is film them truthfully and interestingly, and you will make good films."

The great thing is, it's a big step that leads to even bigger steps in Harry's quest to defeat Voldemort -- which also leads Radcliffe as an actor to places he's never been before. At times, the film even becomes a psychological thriller that briefly finds Radcliffe venturing into "Exorcist" territory in the wake of his latest confrontation with the Dark Lord.

But while Harry was having nightmares about Voldemort in the film, thankfully Radcliffe wasn't having nightmares about meeting the new challenges presented by the growing character. It's a responsibility he accepted a long time ago.

"At the start, I was just a kid on the film set having a great time," Radcliffe said. "Now I feel I have a certain amount of responsibility not just to the fans -- because they love Harry and you want to be able to bring him to life faithfully and not disappoint them -- but also I really do this for myself as well. I have to get better and better and put pressure on myself -- and have a responsibility to myself to be able to go out there and absolutely work as hard as I possibly can to get it right."

And while Radcliffe said that he's having fun in the midst of the film's press tours and premieres, he stressed what matters most is the work.

"I'd certainly like to think that I've got a good work ethic ? the thing I love doing and get excited about doing is going into work every day and start filming," Radcliffe said. "That's the moment I feel really, really lucky."

Perhaps the biggest benefit is working with a team that has essentially become a second family. In addition to the strong relationship he has with Grint and Watson, Radcliffe treasures his work with Gary Oldman, who plays the pivotal role of Harry's Godfather Sirius Black.

The scenes between Oldman and Radcliffe in "The Order of the Phoenix" are, for the lack of a better word, magical. Even in the briefest instances, where Sirius winks at Harry, the veteran actor oozes with charisma.

"He's amazing. He's such of an intelligent man and an absolutely incredible actor. It's an honor to work with him," Radcliffe gushed. "Also, he's a great guy and we're actually very close, and it makes it very easy to act like you're caring about somebody when you genuinely do."

In fact, Radcliffe said, Oldman made Radcliffe feel they a classic movie team during one of the film's climactic battle scene.

"When we were running around, fighting things, he turned to me and said, 'Basically, Dan, we're Butch and Sundance,'" Radcliffe beamed. "And I was Sundance."

Taking The Final Plunges

Much to the pleasure of "Harry Potter" fans, Radcliffe, Grint and Watson earlier this year signed up to do the remaining two films -- "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" which is pegged for a November 2008 release; and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," which will unspool in 2010.

And while fans have had quite some time to ruminate over what they will possibly see with the big-screen adaptation of "The Half-Blood Prince," they'll all have to set up camp outside their bookstores to be the first to learn what's in-store for "The Deathly Hallows." That is, except for Radcliffe.

"I pre-ordered," Radcliffe said, adding with a crack, "I think it would be a very dangerous place for me to stand in line at midnight with other Harry Potter fans."

But even if the big screen Harry Potter braves the mob scene come 12:01 a.m. on July 21, his chances of survival are far better than his literary alter-ego in "The Deathly Hallows." Of course, author J.K. Rowling has long fired a warning shot heard worldwide that not one, but two characters will die in the last book -- and Harry is just as much a target as the rest of them.

Even if Harry dies, Radcliffe said he won't be walking around like an actor with a death sentence on his head anticipating the filming of the last two movies.

"I've worked with Michael Gambon in these films and I know that (Dumbledore) dies and I've worked with Gary Oldman and knew that (Sirius) dies," Radcliffe said. "So to me (if Harry dies), that won't affect my portrayal at all."

And even though he's just as much in the dark as anyone else is over Harry's fate, he does say that signs have appeared time and again -- albiet cryptic ones.

"If J.K Rowling thought there was something I really needed to know, I'm sure she'd tell me," Radcliffe explained. "She's very good about that ... for instance, there was one character that was cut out of the script, and (the filmmakers) sent the script to J.K. She sent it back with one note: 'If you leave so-and-so out, your hands will be tied when it comes to (movie) seven.' So they're back in."